The Grocery List Song

"The Grocery List Song" is a single by YouTuber and musical artist beetlebat and his longtime friend Vandee. It was released on January 20, 2023, as the fifth and final single for his debut mixtape "Be Dumb Bro." It peaked at No. 5 on the Flex Entertainment Hot 100. The single was controversial privately for the constant delays and issues surrounding it.

Background
During 2013, Vandee and his cousin Drew came up with the original version of "The Grocery List Song" on a school bus. He brought up the idea to his long-time friend Beetle to create a music video for the Legasauce channel. The original music video was filmed in Beetle's playroom, featuring the two kids performing the song. After Legasauce's YouTube channel was terminated later that year, Vandee re-uploaded the video to his backup channel in 2014. This was all before Beetle wanted to become a musician.

Since 2019, the two had been in talks of re-creating the song with an actual instrumental and professional music video. With Beetle going down the musical path by 2020, the chances were increasing. Beetle came up for a melody for the beat and sent it to Payden McKnight. He came up with a trap instrumental with a rage beat-switch towards the end. Due to scheduling conflicts, the beat took two months to complete.

Following this conflict, Beetle and Vandee attempted to find time to record the song. Beetle would hit Vandee up every week to see if he was available. Vandee would usually tell him that he was busy at work or at the gym and was "too tired" to record. He finally got Vandee to record his verse in March. The last thing that was needed was to film a music video. Unfortunately, this wouldn't happen as the same scheduling issues with Vandee continued. It was supposed to filmed before Beetle went to Destin to film the "Innocent" music video. This stressed-out Beetle at the time but it all worked out. "Innocent" would replace "The Grocery List Song" as Beetle's comeback single and became a massive hit.

Vandee would come over to Beetle's place to re-record his verse for the track in the middle of the summer and Beetle sent the finalized version to engineer Payden. The song would finally be released on his debut mixtape "Be Dumb Bro" on September 30, 2022. Beetle would attempt to get Vandee to do the video again in late 2022 but Beetle finally gave up. He asked Vandee to perform at his first concert, but he said he "didn't have the peaches." Instead, he created a mask of Vandee's face and performed with that.

A week before his second concert in April 2023, Vandee told Beetle that he was down to perform their song live. He would live up to his promise and the two would perform the song together live for the first time. Beetle announced that he had "forgiven" Vandee before his performance of "Forgiveness."

Chart performance
"The Grocery List Song" debuted at No. 11 on the Flex Entertainment Hot 100, during the release week of his debut mixtape "Be Dumb Bro." After the release of its music video in January 2023, it leaped to a new peak of No. 9, becoming his eighteenth top ten single. It would go on to peak at No. 5. It would go on to spend eleven weeks in the Top 10 and thirty-two weeks on the chart in total.

Music video
The music video for “The Grocery List Song” was released on January 20, 2023. It was filmed at an actual Kroger. Vandee didn't end up in the actual video for the song due to a continuation of scheduling issues. There is a skit and storyline involved with the video in order to explain why Vandee didn't turn up. At the beginning of the video, Beetle wakes up to call Vandee to get ready for the video shoot. Vandee informs Beetle that he can't make it as he will be partying and lifting all day. Beetle accepts defeat and instead calls his best friend Dom.

The rest of the video features Beetle and Dom, who is disguised as Vandee, performing the song throughout the Kroger. The "Vandee mask" is a photo of him from 2019 passed out on a school bus due to lack of sleep. It was also used during Beetle's performance of "The Grocery List Song" at his first concert "Be Dumb Bro: The Live Experience." The video prompted various fans to direct-message Vandee on Instagram about his "performance" in the visual.

The video has amassed two-hundred views as of May 2023.

Critical reception
The song received positive reviews from critics and fans, praising the production as well as Beetle and Vandee's chemistry. It has a user score of 79 on AlbumOfTheYear from 8 ratings.

Track Listing
Digital Download - Original
 * 1) The Grocery List Song - 3:29

Lyrics
[Intro: beetlebat]

We finally doin' this

About time

[Hook 1: Vandee & beetlebat]

I got a grocery list, it’s on paper

Go to the store, it's name's kroger

I don’t even look, I only got to pay for

That's just how it go, I don't have to say more

It's me and my boy, we poppin years later

Perfecting our rhymes, we only get greater

I ran to the store just to drop a quick stack

But then I'll head home and hop on a track

[Verse: Vandee & beetlebat]

My raps too intelligent for most to get

If you wanna make a bet then go back and check

Too stressed out gonna go grab some head

You a fed, declassified like my name is Ned (haha)

Say what you want but I'm poppin again

Now it's been a minute so I'm droppin again

Now I heard your new single is floppin again

But when I walk in the club, they be boppin again (ha)

I’ll leave a mark like I’m friends with Ted

I feel like I said too much instead

I intend on bread and staying ahead

Never tired, told myself I'm not gon thread

She call me president like I’m the next candidate

''What did that hater say? No need to annotate''

Party on the weekend, just know that I'm heartless

But I'm still getting that money regardless

I finally made it, almost went out of style

I'll give you time to catch up 30 day free trial

From wood to tile, to put on vinyl

You’re sinking in the streams you're in denial

First, we'll buy some broccoli and then we'll buy a carrot

I can see a deep dish full of great merit

Don't mind me just grabbing some chips

But those oreos got me licking my lips

They say I'm the next Eminem

And can get their attention with a pretty basic (ahem)

This ain't gon work plus we don't have the chem

Plus I can't pretend but your best friend a straight ten

He claims that he's icy but he ain't that nice see

Don't wanna to get dicey cus my time too pricey

Wanted this to be distant but he's too persistent

So I guess I'll pretend that he has no existent

They say I belong in a morgue with a sword in my chest

Just like the rest of the horde

All because they can't afford where my feet stored

Until they're done with their weekly chore

When I go shopping, they run outta receipts

I be ruling the internet and running the streets

I stay on top of my game cuz I know my role

We may be red heads but this track is our soul

But imagine like dragons, me up next happenin

In the studio making it happen, leaving all the crowds clapping

You wishing you had this, celebrity status

Feelin like a sixer, we talkin bout practice

I'm a walking celebrity, they can't say that to me

I know the whole town, the world is next you see

I used to have dreams, now I'm living them free

But if you're not onboard, I'd like to hear your plea

We do it on the stairs, that's a different kind of railing

You promise your mom? That's a different kind of failing

We blazing your trail and you look at my mansion

This only a feature? Imagine not sharing

We both graduated now we getting that cash

Whether its music or crypto, it's a digital dash

Was gone for a minute, here's another smash

No matter the genre, I'm making a splash

Find the route, then gain hysteria

Fighting all these demons I need wisteria

Messin' with hoes but never gonna marry 'em

[?] kills my haria

Got bars like the eight tails, they wanna know the details

Had to work through retail, went off on my own trail

Fought off my demons, found out my reasons

Popped off on the internet, know what I'm saying yet?

We getting the green like we falling from a tree

Have you all asleep better count you Zs

I rather count Ms that sound better to me

Ignoring all the critics, I'll make you see

I won't be bothered by your lame reviews

Now count on me to bring you the news

All these boys, they just a bunch of rookies

Hold up, let's go buy some cookies (oh yeah cookies are the best)

[Hook 2: beetlebat]

You don't know what I got going for me

We been waiting for this moment there's more to see

If you don't like it, hang on tight, this how it gonna be

Can't tell us what to do, we are walking free

Got the game in our palms, we got more than green

Yeah, it's hard to believe that it's not even a dream

‘Cuz the way we flow it's so fresh and clean

Don't try to sit around and make a scene

[Outro: Vandee & beetlebat]

Then, we'll buy milk, then we'll buy some cheese sticks

Then, we'll go home

Cuz thats all on our grocery list

Haha, just like ol times sake

Yessir

Na na na na na